What is a family?

Five-Generation photo, 2012

What comes to mind when you hear the word “family”? To most people, it definitely brings up emotions. It is a word that can bring up many emotions. For some it means security, for others maybe abandonment or estrangement unfortunately. One thing it should mean is love and respect, for each other and for ourselves. Families are definitely important as a societal construct. Ideally families should include people who have your back or people you can turn to when you need them. To some, a family includes people who are related by blood or marriage but this isn’t the only criteria. It is people who accept you no matter who you are, who love you unconditionally and can be supportive. Of course there are many different types of family units and one type is no better than the other as long as the people love and support each other.

Who would you count as your family? For myself, I count my 93-year-old mother, a brother, two sisters, two daughters, five grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. But now that my children are grown and have their own families, my immediate family unit consists of me and my dog, who I now also include in my family unit. Our pets are an important part of our families, our traditions and our culture.